February 5/12 14:46 pm - Tour of Qatar: Stage 1 report and results
Posted by Editoress on 02/5/12
In perfect weather conditions despite ever present wind, Stage 1 of the Tour of Qatar ended in a bunched sprint. Belgian Tom Boonen once again proved he was the man to beat on a race he's already won three times. The Omega Pharma-Quickstep rider captured his 19th stage success here and will carry the first overall leader's Golden jersey of this 2012 edition.
After a very windy Ladies' Tour of Qatar, the conditions were a lot milder for the men's event as the World's best riders gathered at the start of Stage 1 under a bright sun and far less wind than on the previous days. For this 11th edition, 127 riders (Clarke (CSS) failed to start) took off from the Barzan Towers including World champion Mark Cavendish (SKY), World number one Philippe Gilbert (BMC), title holder Mark Renshaw (RAB), three-time Tour of Qatar winner Tom Boonen (OPQ), as well as the likes of Hushovd (BMC), Cancellara (RNT), Farrar (GRM) and Pozzato (FAR).
As early as kilometre 3, Adam Hansen took off on his own. His lead grew rapidly from 25" at km 5 to a maximum 6'40 at the first bonus sprint (km 28.5) he captured ahead of Hallen (KAT) and Renshaw. From that point on the gap dropped down.
Just after the feed zone (km 69), as the leader headed back south and the wind blew sideways, the pack broke up into several parts with a group of 29 pulling away. That pack, including Boonen, Cancellara, Sagan and Farrar caught up with Hansen and could enjoy a 20" lead. They reached the second intermediate sprint (km 82), won by Farrar ahead of Appolonio (SKY) and Maes (OPQ), with a 14" lead. But all the riders eventually gathered together again at km 83, enjoying a tailwind all the way to the finish.
Decision was to be made in a bunched sprint. Well helped out by his team mates, Tom Boonen flew to victory, his 19th on Qatari soil. The Belgian beat Blythe (BMC) and Sagan (LIQ) to the line. Boonen will therefore be wearing the overall leader's Golden Jersey for tomorrow's team time-trial. He also leads the points' standings while Blythe is the best young rider (White jersey).
Courtesy Tour of Qatar
| Stage 1: Barzan Towers to North Atlantic College, 141.5kms | |
| 1 Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team | 3:11:32 |
| 2 Adam Blythe (GBr) BMC Racing Team | |
| 3 Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas - Cannondale | |
| 4 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Barracuda | |
| 5 Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale | |
| 6 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
| 7 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha Team | |
| 8 Davide Appollonio (Ita) Sky Procycling | |
| 9 Jonas Vangenechten (Bel) Lotto - Belisol Team | |
| 10 Robert Wagner (Ger) Radioshack - Nissan | |
| 11 Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ-Bigmat | |
| 12 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Radioshack - Nissan | |
| 13 Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team | |
| 14 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto - Belisol Team | |
| 15 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team | |
| 16 John Degenkolb (Ger) Project 1T4I | |
| 17 Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) FDJ-Bigmat | |
| 18 Baden Cooke (Aus) Greenedge Cycling Team | |
| 19 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team | |
| 20 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto - Belisol Team | |
| 21 Thor Hushovd (Nor) BMC Racing Team | |
| 22 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale | |
| 23 Matthias Friedemann (Ger) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | |
| 24 Vladimir Isaychev (Rus) Katusha Team | |
| 25 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Sky Procycling | |
| 26 Gatis Smukulis Latvia Katusha Team | |
| 27 Roy Curvers (Ned) Project 1T4I | |
| 28 Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ-Bigmat | |
| 29 Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
| 30 David Boucher (Fra) FDJ-Bigmat | |
| 31 Ian Stannard (GBr) Sky Procycling | |
| 32 Aleksandr Kuschynski (Blr) Katusha Team | |
| 33 Tom Veelers (Ned) Project 1T4I | |
| 34 Robbie Mcewen (Aus) Greenedge Cycling Team | |
| 35 Aidis Kruopis (Ltu) Greenedge Cycling Team | |
| 36 Mickael Delage (Fra) FDJ-Bigmat | |
| 37 Svein Tuft (Can) Greenedge Cycling Team | |
| 38 Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
| 39 Gorik Gardeyn (Bel) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | |
| 40 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
| 41 Fumiyuki Beppu Japan Greenedge Cycling Team | |
| 42 Roger Kluge (Ger) Project 1T4I | |
| 43 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Garmin - Barracuda | |
| 44 Michael Barry (Can) Sky Procycling | |
| 45 Aaron Kemps (Aus) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | |
| 46 Mehdi Sohrabi Iran Lotto - Belisol Team | |
| 47 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team | |
| 48 Gabriel Rasch (Nor) FDJ-Bigmat | |
| 49 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Sky Procycling | |
| 50 Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Garmin - Barracuda | |
| 51 Michael Schƒr (Sui) BMC Racing Team | |
| 52 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Esp) Sky Procycling | |
| 53 Miyataka Shimizu (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor | |
| 54 Marco Haller (Aut) Katusha Team | |
| 55 Gregory Rast (Sui) Radioshack - Nissan | |
| 56 Yohan Offredo (Fra) FDJ-Bigmat | |
| 57 Rudiger Selig (Ger) Katusha Team | |
| 58 Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale | |
| 59 Danilo Wyss (Sui) BMC Racing Team | |
| 60 Alan Marangoni (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale | |
| 61 Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
| 62 Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale | |
| 63 Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Farnese Vini | |
| 64 Koen De Kort (Ned) Project 1T4I | |
| 65 Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Project 1T4I | |
| 66 David McCann (Irl) RTS Racing Team | |
| 67 Jens Mouris (Ned) Greenedge Cycling Team | |
| 68 Maciek Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas - Cannondale | |
| 69 Tony Gallopin (Fra) Radioshack - Nissan | |
| 70 Frederik Willems (Bel) Lotto - Belisol Team | |
| 71 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Radioshack - Nissan | |
| 72 Mart Ojavee (Est) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | |
| 73 Fabian Cancellara (Sui) Radioshack - Nissan | |
| 74 Jacob Rathe (USA) Garmin - Barracuda | |
| 75 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
| 76 Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Katusha Team | |
| 77 Christian Knees (Ger) Sky Procycling | |
| 78 Thomas Dekker (Ned) Garmin - Barracuda | |
| 79 Martin Kohler (Sui) BMC Racing Team | |
| 80 Jos Van Emden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
| 81 Jai Crawford (Aus) RTS Racing Team | |
| 82 Luca Ascani (Ita) Farnese Vini | |
| 83 Andrea Guardini (Ita) Farnese Vini | |
| 84 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Farnese Vini | |
| 85 Gregory Henderson (NZl) Lotto - Belisol Team | |
| 86 Thomas Lebas (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor | |
| 87 Markel Irizar Aranburu (Esp) Radioshack - Nissan | |
| 88 Alexandre Lemair (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor | |
| 89 Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ-Bigmat | |
| 90 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
| 91 Robert Hunter (RSA) Garmin - Barracuda | |
| 92 Blaise Sonnery (Fra) Bridgestone Anchor | |
| 93 Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team | |
| 94 Alex Coutts (GBr) RTS Racing Team | |
| 95 Klaas Lodewyck (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
| 96 Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto - Belisol Team | |
| 97 Lee Rodgers (GBr) RTS Racing Team | |
| 98 Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas - Cannondale | |
| 99 Matthew Brammeier (Irl) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team | |
| 100 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Greenedge Cycling Team | |
| 101 Joost Posthuma (Ned) Radioshack - Nissan | |
| 102 Kazuo Inoue (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor | |
| 103 Pengda Jiao (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | |
| 104 Tom Leezer (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
| 105 Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Sky Procycling | |
| 106 Albert Timmer (Ned) Project 1T4I | |
| 107 Domenik Klemme (Ger) Project 1T4I | |
| 108 Diego Caccia (Ita) Farnese Vini | all s.t. |
| 109 Thomas Bertolini (Ita) Farnese Vini | 0:21 |
| 110 Pier Paolo De Negri (Ita) Farnese Vini | 0:23 |
| 111 Cristiano Benenati (Ita) Farnese Vini | 0:29 |
| 112 Hayoto Yoshida (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor | 0:31 |
| 113 Clinton Robert Avery (NZl) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | 0:33 |
| 114 Klaas Sys (Bel) Bridgestone Anchor | 0:37 |
| 115 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quickstep Cycling Team | s.t. |
| 116 Murilo Fischer (Bra) Garmin - Barracuda | 0:44 |
| 117 Jack Bauer (NZl) Garmin - Barracuda | |
| 118 Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto - Belisol Team | both s.t. |
| 119 Allan Davis (Aus) Greenedge Cycling Team | 1:04 |
| 120 Gang Xu (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team | 2:54 |
| 121 Denis Galimzyanov (Rus) Katusha Team | |
| 122 Ryota Nishizono (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor | both s.t. |
| 123 Chin Lung Huang (Tpe) RTS Racing Team | 3:18 |
| 124 Wen Chung Huang (Tpe) RTS Racing Team | 12:38 |
| 125 Sergey Kudentsov (Rus) RTS Racing Team | |
| 126 Wei Kei Chang (Tpe) RTS Racing Team | both s.t. |
| DNF Coen Vermeltfoort (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
| DNS William Clarke (Aus) Champion System Pro Cycling Team |
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